This is a very pleasing CD and only the first volume of a
complete edition of Telemann's wind concertos. The music
is lively, varied, interesting, striking; and it’s played by La
Stagione Frankfurt and Camerata Köln under Michael Schneider with
a full awareness of and enthusiasm for those characteristics.

Telemann is one of those composers who surprises: when
you think you have his measure, you listen to music like that
on this disc; and it forcefully shows fresh invention, different
ideas and untried approaches.

Although he cut his musical teeth on keyboard, strings
and recorder, Telemann held it a point of honour not only thoroughly
to familiarise himself with the broadest spectrum of instruments
that was then in common - and not so common - use; but also
to write distinctive and convincing music for them. Here we
have concertos for horn, oboe, transverse flute and recorder.

What’s striking, though, about this strand of the composer’s
work is the degree to which Telemann understood the acoustic
characteristics of each of these instruments so well. He was
able not only to exploit these, but also to say something new
- yet not falsely novel - in terms of repertoire and compositional
integrity. These musicians bring this out. They do not treat
Telemann’s wind concertos as curios, or ‘test pieces’. He worked
on these concertos from his time as Konzertmeister at Eisenach
from 1708 through to the mid-1730s when he was Kantor in Hamburg
- but published only a few isolated examples after his Tafelmusik of
1733.

Dating his over a hundred concertos is difficult. The horn
double concerto (TWV 52:D2) and the oboe one (TWV
51:d1) are likely
to have been composed between 1708 and 1714 - so are early.
They contain more shorter, contrasting, elements reflecting
the canzona style with much interplay between solo instruments
and ripieno strings.

Both the recorder and transverse flute double concerto
(TWV 52:e1) and the E
major one for transverse flute (TWV
51:E1) are likely to have been written in Telemann’s
late Frankfurt years. They are more expansive and build on an
expanded cyclical structure. The concerto
for recorder and two violins (TWV 43:g3),
however, is closer in form to the typical eighteenth century
sonata – and also recalls the Suite form. This blurred
distinction was especially appealing to Telemann, as can be
seen by the thematic and textural exuberance to which the performers
here live up so well.

These five concertos sit well together on the same CD:
the variety is refreshing and stimulating and makes for very
satisfying listening from first note to last. Within each work,
there is contrast as well. They have, for example, a four (or
five) movement structure – usually slow-fast-slow-fast. This
offers opportunities to expose the cantabile characteristics
of the instruments first, as opposed to the virtuosic.

It would be hard to fault any of the playing … enthusiastic,
lively, respectful of Telemann’s interest in the match between
sound and idea. And with full attention paid to dynamics and
expression. The strings in each case seem as earnest as the
soloists are to jump in and make a splash. Yet not in a flashy
or ephemeral way. This is accomplished, reflective and mature
playing and makes the CD one to buy without hesitation.

The recording is first class; clear and sparkling. The
booklet, while a little rough around the translation edges,
is informative. So this CPO series looks like an admirable enterprise
and one which promises to bring us much original and pleasing
music, well played and presented. Definitely one to consider
carefully if you wish to examine the strengths of Telemann – and
his surprises.

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